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BBC  February 11, 2019 Considering whether to disconnect from the global internet briefly, as part of a test of its cyber-defences. The test will mean data passing between Russian citizens and organisations stays inside the nation rather than being routed internationally.  A draft law mandating technical changes needed to operate independently was introduced to its parliament last year.  The test is expected to happen before 1 April but no exact date has been set. Major disruption The draft law, called the Digital Economy National Program, requires Russia's ISPs to ensure that it can operate in the event of foreign powers acting to isolate the country online. Nato and its allies have threatened to sanction Russia over the cyber-attacks and other online interference which it is regularly accused of instigating. The measures outlined in the law include Russia building its own version of the net's address system, known as DNS, so it can operate if links to these inte

The Express Tribune February 11,2019 Kamran Yousaf Every year on the 5th of February, Pakistan observes Kashmir Solidarity Day. This has been the practice since 1990 when the late Jamaat-e-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed first mooted the idea. The day is marked by a national holiday. Statements eulogising the sacrifices of Kashmiris in the face of brutal use of force by the Indian forces are issued, rallies are staged across the country and resolutions are adopted showing support to the people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination. This year, the PTI government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan went a step further to extend support to the Kashmiris. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi travelled to London and attended several events, including one at the British Parliament, for the Kashmir cause. All such efforts were aimed at highlighting the human rights violations being committed by Indian forces in Kashmir, which has long been the scene of tensions.

The Hindu February 11, 2019 Vijaita Singh Home Ministry blocks his visa Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri’s visit to India has run into trouble after security agencies red-flagged his recent speech that “Kashmiris should be able to choose freedom through a plebiscite.” His visa was cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs, but the Home Ministry is learnt to have blocked it, sources said. Mr. Qadri has been associated with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s campaigns in the past, and his visit was being seen as a confidence-building measure. Mr. Qadri said in a video message posted on January 2 that he was coming to India at the request of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and the invitation was extended to him through the Lucknow-based Shia cleric Kalbe Jawad. Mr. Jawad could not be reached for comments. Mr. Qadri says he has received Mr. Singh’s  paigaam  (message) and  dawatnama (dinner request) through Mr. Jawad and he has given his consent for the same. Video message Minh

The Indian Express  February 11, 2019   Sushant Singh In the fourth week of March 2015, about a fortnight before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France, businessman Anil Ambani visited then French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s office in Paris and had a meeting with his top advisors, The Indian Express has learnt. The meeting was attended by Le Drian’s special advisor Jean-Claude Mallet; his industry advisor, Christophe Salomon; and his technical advisor for industrial affairs, Geoffrey Bouquot.   Ambani’s meeting was described by Salomon to a top official of a European defence company as “confidential and planned as you can imagine with very short notice”. Ambani, according to an official who was briefed on the meeting, expressed his wish to work with Airbus Helicopters on both commercial and defence helicopters. He is also said to have mentioned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “in preparation and the i

The Wire February 11, 2019 Sharat Sabharwal President Donald Trump’s intent to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan,  reiterated in his State of the Union address , has thrown the already fraught situation in a state of flux. Saddled with a tough brief from his boss, US special representative Zalmay Khalilzad has met the Taliban a number of times in recent months. His wish list includes a ceasefire, paving the way for withdrawal of US forces with the exception of some counter-terrorism presence, a pledge by the Taliban not to permit use of the Afghan soil by international terrorists and an intra-Afghan dialogue involving the Taliban and the Afghanistan government to settle the details of power sharing and a future political set up. After Khalilzad’s meeting with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi in December last year, along with the representatives of Pakistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia, they dodged him for a month, accusing him of trying to expand the agenda of talks beyond withdrawal

The Wire Ferubabry 11, 2019 Kabir Aggarwal Meerut/Muzaffarnagar:   Madan Pal Singh is a small farmer with five acres of land in Amarpur, a small village about 40 kilometres from the main town of Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh. He is unimpressed with the Narendra Modi-led Central government’s recent announcement that it will provide Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers. Singh, being a small farmer, is eligible to receive the assistance, but he says that the amount is inadequate. “What will I do with Rs 6,000 per year? I have to spend Rs 5,000 on seeds alone,” he said. He grows potatoes, which he says costs Rs 6 per kilogram. “I am not even able to recover my cost of production by selling the crop. The government should have ensured that the crop sells for a good price.” Currently, the wholesale price of potatoes in Meerut is Rs 5 per kilogram. Singh points out that if transportation and warehousing costs are added, his total comes to Rs 8 per kilogram.